Human Rights Campaign Joins National Call To Stay Clear Of Florida

FLORIDA — The Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBTQ+ rights organization in the country, is joining two other national human rights groups in issuing a travel advisory for Florida, warning gay travelers that the state has passed new laws that may pose risks to them.

After initially issuing a travel advisory warning LGBTQ people to stay clear of Florida due to the state's passage of several laws that restrict the civil rights of LGBTQ residents, on Tuesday the Human Rights Campaign issued a revised travel advisory following the passage of a new package of bills targeting the LGTBQ community.

Amidst applause at the Cambridge Christian School in Tampa, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed what the governor is calling the "Let Kids Be Kids" package on May 17 "to protect Florida’s children from permanent mutilating surgical procedures, gender identity politics in schools, and attending sexually explicit adult performances.

The LGBTQ community is the third disenfranchised population that DeSantis has managed to alienate in the past month.

After DeSantis signed a sweeping immigration reform bill into law, the League of United Latin American Citizens issued a travel advisory warning Hispanics and Latinos, especially non-citizens, to steer clear of Florida. Then, over the weekend, the national NAACP followed LULAC's example.

The Florida conference of the NAACP, the Florida Immigrant Coalition and Equality Florida have also issued travel advisories warning members not to visit or relocate to Florida.

The civil and human rights organizations say DeSantis and his Republican Legislature are hellbent on the removing the civil liberties of these already-marginalized segments of society.

Related:

• Travel Advisory Issued By NAACP Cites DeSantis' Attacks On FL Blacks
• Latino Advocacy Group Issues Travel Advisory For Florida

They said the travel advisories are meant to make tourists or those considering moving to Florida aware that new laws have been passed that are tantamount to state-sponsored discrimination.

These include laws that prohibit businesses from hiring undocumented immigrants and requiring hospitals to ask the immigration status of everyone seeking health services.

They also include laws prohibiting teachers from discussing gender identity or sexual orientation issues with students, withholding funding from universities that offer gender studies, restricting discussions of slavery and racism in public schools and allowing parents to demand the removal of books from schools libraries that deal with issues of racism and gender identity.

DeSantis' "Let Kids Be Kids"package includes five bills.

Senate Bill 254 prohibits sex reassignment surgeries and experimental puberty blockers for children, allows courts temporary emergency jurisdiction to step in and halt sex reassignment procedures for out-of-state children in Florida and gives those injured by sex reassignment surgeries or medications as minors the right to sue for damages.

House Bill 1069 protects students from having to declare their personal gender pronouns in school (she and he, her and him, hers and his, and herself and himself.) Additionally, this bill expands parental rights in education by prohibiting classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.

House Bill 1438 prohibits children from attending sexually explicit performances, specifically drag queen shows. Additionally, it authorizes the Department of Business and Professional Regulation to fine, suspend or revoke the operating or alcohol licenses of hotels or restaurants if they admit a child into a drag show.

House Bill 1521 requires educational institutions, detention facilities, correctional institutions, juvenile correctional facilities and public buildings with a restroom to designate facilities based on biological sex or provide one-person unisex facilities.

DeSantis also signed House Bill 225 that he said will ensure all students can play sports without interference from "extremist bureaucratic boards." The bill reduces the Florida High School Athletic Association board of directors from 16 to 13 members with four members elected by school representatives, eight appointed by the governor and one appointed by the commissioner of education and allows teams to pray before games.

The Human Rights Campaign's updated travel advisory came on the eve of DeSantis' anticipated announcement of a run for the presidency.

"While not a blanket recommendation against travel nor a call for boycott, the travel advisory outlines the devastating impacts of laws that are hostile to the LGBTQ community, restrict access to reproductive health care, repeal gun safety policies, foment racial prejudice, and attack public education by banning books and censoring curriculum in order that prospective travelers or residents can make the best decisions for themselves and their families," said Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign based in St. Petersburg.

“Those who visit (Florida) must join us in their vocal opposition to these dangerous policies,” Robinson said. “Those who pick another place to work, to go to school or to spend their vacation should make clear why they’re not heading to Florida.”

The updated travel advisory comes days after similar notices were released by national civil rights organizations NAACP and LULAC. The groups warn of Florida’s “open hostility” toward the African American and Latino communities in the wake of laws signed by Governor DeSantis that censor the accurate teaching of American history, defund diversity, equity, and inclusion programs on campuses, propel bans on books about historical Black figures, target immigrants, and foment racist hate.

"Because of Ron DeSantis and his frenzied appeal to extremists, LGBTQ+ people in Florida are finding themselves in a state of emergency every single day," Robinson said. "Since the day he took office, Gov. DeSantis has weaponized his position to weave bigotry, hate and discrimination into public law for his own political gain. We see it as our duty to join Equality Florida and LULAC and the NAACP to provide guidance to our community."

“Gov. Ron DeSantis has inflicted deep and lasting damage upon our state, eroding the fundamental rights of our residents and visitors while exploiting the word ‘free’ as a hollow campaign slogan," said Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida.

"In free states, books are not banned, history remains uncensored and health care is not criminalized. As a parent, I empathize with every family forced to leave Florida in search of accessible health care and inclusive schools for their children," Smith said. "But every day, I see more and more parents stepping forward to defend their children, their neighbors, their schools and their communities from these relentless attacks."

DeSantis called the travel advisories issued by the human and civil rights groups "stunts."

“Florida is proud to lead the way in standing up for our children,” he said. “As the world goes mad, Florida represents a refuge of sanity and a citadel of normalcy.”

Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz Jr. said the legislation is meant to "keep our students safe and our schools focuses on education, not indoctrination."

“Educators in Florida are expected to teach our standards, and not interject their own opinions or worldview into the classroom," he said. "The department will remain focused on teaching students core subjects, rather than woke gender ideology or inappropriate topics.”